Understand the importance of syntax Evaluate “Piece of String” drafts 2-18-16 Goals: Understand the importance of syntax Evaluate “Piece of String” drafts Continue work on “Piece of String” drafts Understand the function of introductions

Read the following sentences aloud: Syntax: Word Order. Yes, it matters. Read the following sentences aloud: Only she told him that she loved him. She only told him that she loved him. She told only him that she loved him. She told him only that she loved him. She told him that only she loved him. She told him that she only loved him. She told him that she loved only him. Lesson: Put each modifier next to the word it modifies.

Fix the syntax on these sentences so they make more sense: Della’s hair is so beautiful that it would even make the Queen of Sheba jealous. Della only knows that something is wrong, but she doesn’t know what it is. Della literally spends all of her money on Jim’s gift. You just can’t put words anywhere and have them mean what you want them to mean. Students who only write one draft miss out on the benefits of revision.

Exchange papers with a partner. Comment on the following: Does the thesis actually “explain some aspect of human nature” reflected in the story? (How well does it respond to the prompt?) If the paper has some body paragraphs, how well does each topic sentence support the thesis? Does each paragraph have specific evidence from the story to support each claim? If so, how good is the evidence?

Writing an effective introduction The opening sentence should grab the reader’s attention. *an interesting fact *an unusual statistic *a thought-provoking question *a brief story (i.e., an anecdote) *a provocative quotation The final sentence should usually be the thesis. Move quickly and logically from the hook to the thesis. Note: You might want to write the introduction LAST.

Writing an effective introduction for the “Magi” paper Thesis: O. Henry uses diction to add emotional weight to the climax of the story. What a difference a single word can make. If that guy on the corner is a “freedom fighter,” you want to help him, but if he’s a “terrorist,” you might want to shoot him before he shoots you. In a story, the author’s choice of words can make the reader love or hate a given character, or feel satisfaction or disappointment with the ending. In “The Gift of the Magi,” O. Henry uses diction to add emotional weight to the climax.

Writing an effective introduction for the “Magi” paper What a difference a single word can make. If that guy on the corner is a “freedom fighter,” you want to help him, but if he’s a “terrorist,” you might want to shoot him before he shoots you. In a story, the author’s choice of words can make the reader love or hate a given character, or feel satisfaction or disappointment with the ending. In “The Gift of the Magi,” O. Henry uses diction to add emotional weight to the climax.

Writing an effective introduction for the “Magi” paper Thesis: O. Henry uses imagery to make readers feel sympathy for Jim and Della, thus adding emotional weight to the climax. Have you ever heard the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words”? It means that an image can convey far more information than a simple statement can; it also means that images can affect our emotions in ways that words cannot. Authors can use words to paint mental images to create emotional responses in readers. In “The Gift of the Magi,” O. Henry uses imagery to make readers feel sympathy for Jim and Della, thus adding emotional weight to the climax. -- that is, they can use imagery --

Writing an effective introduction for the “Magi” paper Have you ever heard the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words”? It means that an image can convey far more information than a simple statement can; it also means that images can affect our emotions in ways that words cannot. Authors can use words to paint mental images – that is, they can use imagery – to create emotional responses in readers. In “The Gift of the Magi,” O. Henry uses imagery to make readers feel sympathy for Jim and Della, thus adding emotional weight to the climax.

Schedule: Today: Work on “Piece of String” paper (Paper 3). 2/18 HW: Write a complete draft of Paper 3. Pay special attention to the thesis, the topic sentences, the evidence, and the introductory paragraph. Tuesday: Bring hard copy of Paper 3 to class for evaluation. 2/23 HW: Revise and polish draft of Paper 3. Thursday: Turn in hard copy of Paper 3. 2/25